Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Charles
Dickens. Who haven’t, at least, heard of his name? He is probably the second
British writer, after Shakespeare, whose works are most well known in the world.
But, like Shakespeare, we are more familiar with his stories and his famous
characters than with himself as a person. It is common knowledge that we can
get to know an author from his writings. But particularly in Dickens—although
it happens in many other authors too—only half of his writings did reflect his
true personalities. Only after reading The
Invisible Woman, did I realize how hard it is to become a famous person. It
becomes even harder when the famous person is a Charles Dickens, who, in his
era, was perhaps only slightly less worshipped than the Queen (or even God?). The Invisible Woman is actually the story
of Ellen Ternan, but it also reveals so many layers of the extravagant Charles
Dickens!

The Ternans
is a family of theater workers. Ellen—or Nelly, as the family used to call
her—was the youngest of three sisters, and she was born and brought up in the
influence of theater industry. Nelly was born in 3 March 1839, a time when women
were divided into two distinguished categories: a woman and a lady. No matter
how virtuously a woman has been brought up, if she worked in theater, she would
automatically be labeled a bad woman; and in the same level as prostitute. In
this condition had Nelly—now an eighteen years actress—found herself, when the
most prominent writer at that time plunged himself in the theater world, got
acquainted with her family, then was attracted to her: Charles Dickens.

Now Dickens
has been consistently criticizing social hypocrisy in his contemporary society,
and has been modeled as virtuous family man. So, when he found himself loathed
his worn-off wife Catherine—who has born his ten children—and attracted by the
fresh and innocent young actress Nelly, Dickens was torn between two passions;
his passion for a woman who can understand him, and the passion of fame and public
honor. Dickens knew he could never marry an actress, and so, was forced to take
Nelly only as a mistress. These two ends would be pulling Dickens to each
other’s side for years, leaving him restless and in interminable fear of
creating scandal for the rest of his life.

First Dickens
ruthlessly banished Catherine from Gad’s Hill by cooperating with Georgina
Hogarth—Catherine’s sister who was more loyal to her brother-in-law—to accuse
Catherine of neglecting their children and being a bad wife. Succeeded in doing
that, and as a widower, Dickens started to lead a double live; one publicly,
one secretly. At the same time Nelly Ternan’s theatrical career was suddenly
terminated, and she disappeared from public life. Dickens installed her at a
house, and so, Dickens often went to and fro two homes, as well as travelling a
lot for his public readings. This happened in his entire life, until he died in
9 June 1870.

After
Dickens’ death, Nelly was freed from threats of scandal and humiliation, which
she must endure when she became Dickens’ mistress. She was believed to get
pregnant from Dickens twice, but both ended in miscarriage. The seclusion, the
fear of scandal, and the uncertain future (as it was impossible for Dickens to
marry her) mush have shaped Nelly Ternan to a new stronger woman after Dickens
death, when she was only 31 years old. As she has probably learned a lot from
Dickens on how to manipulate things, she reappeared in the society by shedding
ten years from her age (to prevent any questions about her missing years with
Dickens), married a school master, had a happy family, and consistently hid her
past from her children until her death in 25 April 1914.

About Dickens
– After reading this biography, now I can see why Dickens’ novel characters are
mostly comical, unbelievable, and—that’s why—memorable. It is because Dickens
himself was a boyish man, both in appearance (his dandy style, even in his
later years, his sudden outburst, his energy), as well as in his personalities.
I pictured Dickens as a man with great fantasies (that’s where those great
stories came from, anyway!), and he believed he must and could make it come
true. All that he wanted to happen must happen! His marriage to Catherine
prevented him from being with Nelly, so he ruthlessly arranged everything he
could to banish her. He did not want to ruin his honor in public, but he also
did not want to lose Nelly, so he created false names, false identity, arranged
false schedules, produced codes and wrote letters here and there; in short,
making every possible way to possess all he wanted. So, while he criticized the
hypocrisy in his society, he doubly led a hypocrite life by leading a life he
publicly disapproved.

I kept
asking myself, why Dickens was determined to take Nelly Ternan as mistress
while risking his honor; for sexual satisfaction only? I don’t think so. Apart
from Nelly’s charming beauty, I believe he needed a partner who understood him,
with whom he could discuss his working life and writings. Plus, Nelly was
closely related to a world that was so fascinated Dickens: theater.

About Nelly
– It is so ironic, that a woman, who once had a great influence towards a great
man, must be kept hidden for centuries, scrapped from histories. Even until
now, no one knows the exact life of Ellen Ternan. Historians and biographers
could only do detective works and deductions, but could never (at least ‘till
this day) reveal the whole mystery. Nobody was sure of Nelly’s feeling and aim
when she decided to accept Dickens in her life. I think both Nelly and her
mother were fascinated and flattered at first, that a man of such importance paid
attention to her. They must have thought it’d be a better future for her, for
she could never expect a better husband, not with her theatre background. But
Nelly was used to adventurous life in theater, and so living secretly and
anonymously might have distressed her. Poor Nelly, I only hope that whatever
happened in her last years, she have had once happy moments with Dickens.

Claire
Tomalin has done a good job in this biography. She must have been through tons
of researches and even ‘detective’ works to reveal the life of Ellen Ternan.
Her writing is engaging, and although this is the first time I have read
biography, I could quite enjoy it. Four stars for The Invisible Woman! Now I only wish the movie would get to
Indonesia very soon!